Harry Potter is looking to bring its big-screen magic to the small screen. According to "The Hollywood Reporter", HBO Max is in early development on a live-action Harry Potter TV series.
"The Hollywood Reporter" reveals that executives at WarnerMedia have had a series of meetings with writers to bring the beloved franchise to the small screen. It should be noted that these talks are in the very early stages and no writers or talent are officially attached to the potential project. "The Hollywood Reporter" cites sources that a series is in development but HBO Max and Warner Bros. reaffirmed in a statement that "There are no Harry Potter series in development at the studio or the streaming platform." This kind of denial has happened before when details on projects begin to emerge before the studio or network is ready to announce them so take their deniability with a grain of salt.
Warner Bros. and HBO Max are making it a priority to expand the world of Harry Potter. Along with creator J.K. Rowling, the two entities control the rights to the property and it's one of Warners' most valuable pieces of IP. Across eight feature films, the franchise has grossed more than $7 billion worldwide and it continues to be a global phenomenon. In addition to the main franchise, Warner Bros. also has the Fantastic Beasts prequel series which is set to bow its third film next year.
Despite the desire to make the Harry Potter expansion work, there are a lot of cooks in the kitchen when it comes to the rights issues. J.K. Rowling controls the franchise and has a say in everything that goes on with the property. NBCUniversal also has a stake in the franchise due to a rich seven-year rights deal with Warner Bros. Domestic TV Distribution that was signed in 2016. The deal gave them the U.S. broadcast, cable, and streaming rights to the franchise. The deal ends in 2025 and includes digital initiatives as well as theme park content and events. Due to that pact, Warner execs had to make a side deal that allowed all of the Harry Potter films to stream briefly on HBO Max when the service first launched. The popular films of the franchise left HBO Max after three months and will return to the Peacock streaming service at a still to be determined date this year.
Are YOU all in for Harry Potter to hit the small screen?